Venezuela releases 7 jailed Americans; U.S. frees 2 prisoners
Seven U.S. citizens imprisoned in Venezuela are free and returning home, President Joe Biden said on Saturday, a major breakthrough in U.S. government efforts to free Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Jose Pereira, Matthew Heath, and Osman Khan were let go by the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro, Biden administration officials said. In exchange, the president agreed to free Efraín Antonio Campo Flores and Francisco Flores de Freitas, two nephews of Maduro who were convicted on drug charges in the United States, senior administration officials said.
Some of the freed Americans had been in Venezuelan custody for months, while others were imprisoned for years.
Heath, a former U.S. Marine, had attempted suicide, while Khan, a recent college graduate, reported being tortured and experiencing seizures. The remaining five members of the “Citgo 6” — a group of oil executives who had been detained for years — were also freed.
U.S. officials have been lobbying for their release for over a year, with a senior delegation of Biden officials traveling to Caracas in March and again in June to secure their release. Two Americans held by Caracas were previously freed under the Biden administration after the March visit, including one “Citgo 6” member.
A senior administration official said that Biden has spoken with each of the freed Americans.
“These individuals will soon be reunited with their families and back in the arms of their loved ones where they belong,” Biden said in a statement. “I am grateful for the hard work of dedicated public servants across the U.S. Government who made this possible, and who continue to deliver on my Administration’s unflinching commitment to keep faith with Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained all around the world.”
The State Department has warned Americans traveling to Venezuela — or to its border region in Colombia — that they face a heightened risk of kidnapping.
The seven Americans freed on Saturday account for all of the U.S. citizens officially categorized as wrongfully detained abroad. But at least four U.S. citizens are believed to remain in Venezuelan custody.
“To all the families who are still suffering and separated from their loved ones who are wrongfully detained — know that we remain dedicated to securing their release,” Biden said.